


Stories of the Second Self: Legal Eagle

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [57]
Category: Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:46:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22536475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: Asked for a followup interview, Sariel Hayes returns to a law firm where she had sent a job application. Much to her surprise, the firm didn't ask for degrees or qualifications for legal work, merely that applicants had lived in Cincinnati during the upheaval. It's by her own character that Sariel will be judged by a senior partner of the firm.
Series: Alter Idem [57]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Legal Eagle

For the first time, a Sariel's job hunting required a followup interview. The initial interview dealt with past work experience and occupation history, which had induced no small measure of dread.

Patiently, she sat in the waiting area of a law firm which, strangely, had sent out classifieds in the paper. They didn't clarify a need for legal experience or education, just that the law firm wanted applicants to have lived in Cincinnati for at least three years. One of those years was after civil order had been restored following the two years of federal occupation after the emergence in society of supernatural castes.

Sariel's wings drew sporadic attention from the administrative assistant, but not the usual ogling of a hardened religious believer, just whenever Sariel shifted her wings around. The feathers bent light around them, making her wings seem like glass that distorted the view of whatever they obstructed. Underneath them was regular skin, bone and some muscle. Sariel's chest muscles had become three times stronger since her wings first grew out three years ago, along with other changes for having gone from human to angel.

"Sariel Hayes," the administrative assistant called out.

Standing up, Sariel approached the desk. "Yes?"

"Mrs. Goodwin will see you now," the assistant said, "Her office is down this hall and the third door."

"Thank you," Sariel replied and headed off.

She saw that the third door was open, but Sariel stopped and knocked on it anyway. A black woman who had eloquent facial features and a few gray flecks in her short-buzzed hair, yet didn’t look middle aged. She was reading something on her desk monitor, when seeing Sariel and brightened up.

"Sariel Hayes," the woman said while standing and reaching a hand across the desk. "I'm Lilith Goodwin, one of the senior partners of Goodwin, Rosen, and Baker Law Firm. Have a seat."

"Thank you," Sariel said, after shaking Lilith's hand.

"I found your resume to be incredibly diverse," Lilith began, looking at what was on her computer screen. "If there is a slice of Cincinnati life you seemed to have work experience in it, even... if I understand correctly, as a mechanic?"

"Yes ma'am," Sariel answered, thinking formality being the best approach. "I learned to fix older model cars while in high school."

"You can call me Lilith," she permitted, and continued, "We called you back because there are other aspects to who you are that don't appear on your resume, for instance you don't mention being an angel."

"I wasn't sure how that would help in your office," Sariel confessed, "and to be honest I didn't want to seem the type of person who would abuse their caste listing to land work instead of my qualification."

"I can understand that," Lilith said.

At that point, Sariel noticed that Lilith's scalp hair grew down the sides of her neck, which Sariel surmised it also was on the back of her neck, marking her to be a werewolf. It explained why Lilith's hand was unusually warm to the touch.

"These are the same questions you were asked before, only now I'd like you to answer them as they pertain to being an angel," Lilith explained, "Can you tell me your strengths?"

"I can fly," Sariel replied, resisting the urge to verbalize a pause of uncertainty. "That's also because of good upper body strength, so lifting is easier. I haven't needed glasses since changing, and I can see much better than twenty-twenty. From what I've heard, my feathers are fire and bullet proof, or, I guess they say fire and bullet resistant. I'm not sure how something as light as feathers can stop a bullet's force, though."

"And weakness?" Lilith inquired on.

"Well, there's Nighttime Affective Disorder," Sariel recalled, "Angels seem to get something out of daylight, sunlight particularly, so when it's dark it affects mood. Back when I worked worked a Starbucks, I would buy the UV Lavender drink for that. I'm still looking for a good UV lamp, and it's hard to come by a lot in the city."

"Anything else you can think of?" Lilith prodded lightly.

"Some people wouldn't think this," Sariel prefaced her answer, "but being an angel is a sort of weakness. When I first started to show, and my family knew what it was, they thought I'd be able to do miracles. A lot of other people see me and think I'm a holy messenger or something. And it makes bad pickup lines worse."

That got a laugh out of Lilith, to which Sariel also had a chuckle, before she wrapped up her answer. "Then there's finding shirts and blouses that I can get my wings into or out of easily."

"I can related to the clothing problem myself," Lilith admitted, and then asked, "Where do you see yourself in five years as an angel?"

"Five years ago, I wouldn't have imagined this," Sariel replied, "So who knows what will pop up. Maybe everything goes back to normal, and we all might pretend it never happened. Given all this, I don't think anyone can plan that far ahead."

"What made you want to work for this company?" Lilith posed the next question.

"I assumed that with no call for legal experience, I expected you needed someone for dealing with paperwork, and I've done that for a few places, even if that hadn't been my job description. From what I could find out you are an advocacy law firm, and I thought it would be a great chance to help people."

"What salary range are you looking for?" Lilith quizzed.

"I'm not sure what nonlegal work draws in a law firm," Sariel paused for the first time, and a voice in her head was screaming to avoid that. "I was thinking it would be something like maybe ten to twelve an hour, though I'd like it to be more like fifteen, if my experience suits the opening."

"So, do you have any questions for me?" Lilith said.

"Yes," Sariel paused again, only to consider how best to phrase this. "What were the criteria for getting a second interview?"

"We're not just looking to fill a position," Lilith explained, "Rather, we are specifically seeking people with a commitment to activism and change. After your first interview I followed you to where you encountered that gentleman who was harassing the homeless giant. I was rather impressed at your decision to turn back and put a stop to it. Then, you went further and offered that homeless man a meal. Not many people would do that for the destitute, and certainly not for anyone outside their caste.

"Whatever your thoughts on being an angel, or on religion in general," Lilith laid out, "You exhibit the qualities people would consider angelic. You care for others without condition of what they can offer you. This city could use more of that to become the Cincinnati we wanted even before Alter Idem. Many of our clients are from the Pentacastes; people who can't count on society's understanding or acceptance. You will be part of helping humans be more human and build equality for nonhumans like ourselves."

"I'd like that," Sariel warmly said with a smile.

"There are a few things we need to do in order to finalize the process," Lilith said, "However, it looks good for you, Sariel. I anticipate working with you soon."

"Thank you so much," Sariel cooed to the verge of gushing.

She stood as Lilith did and shook hands again, and Lilith said, "Thank you for coming in. It was a pleasure talking with you, Sariel."

"I'm grateful for the chance, Lilith," she answered, "Goodbye."

Walking out Lilith's door, Sariel didn't feel nervous nor carry a bleak outlook of landing another short term job. She didn't know what Goodwin, Rosen, and Baker were hiring for in office specifics, but at least it felt like a job she could live on for more than a year.


End file.
